Gagke and water-reg-tjlatok foe



UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

MIGHILL NUTTING, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

GAG-E AND WATER-REGULATOR FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,604, dated February 10, 1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MIGHILL NUTTING, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in )Vater Gages and Regulators for Steam-Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which makes part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a vertical section of my improved regulator attached to a section of a steam boiler; and Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of a modification of my improved regulator, also attached to a section of a boiler.

My improved water gage and regulator is const-ructed so as to indicate when the water in the boiler is at a safe height; to set in motion a pump for feeding water into the boiler when it is too low; and, to stop the pump when the water rises to a safe level.

This regulator and gage consists mainly of t-wo compartments, one of which (A) is connected by pip-es with the water and steam spaces of the boiler, and is alternately heated by the steam, and cooled by the water from the boiler; the steam filling the compartment and raising the temperature, when the water in the boiler is low; and the water filling the compartment and lowering the temperature, when it is high in the boiler. The other compartment (B) is a chamber, in contact with the heating and cooling apartment, which has an elastic diaphragm for one of its sides, or is connected with an auxiliary compartment (H), one of whose sides is an elastic diaphragm (I) or otherwise made so as to yield und-er pressure. This compartment (B) is air tight, and is filled with some fluid, either gaseous or liquid, which is expanded when the temperature of the apartment (A) is raised, and cont-racted when the temperature of the apartment is low-ered; this expansion and contraction of the fluid alternately protrudes and retracts the diaphragm, or the yielding side ofthe chamber.

The yielding side of the expanding and contracting chamber is connected wit-h, and moves an indicator, to show when the water in the boiler is too low, and when it is at a safe height, and it is likewise connected with a shift-ing lever to move a belt, from a loose to a fast pulley to set the pump in motion; or, from a fast to a loose pulley, to stop it, as may be required; to maintain the proper quantity of water in the boiler. The protruding and retracting of the yielding side of this chamber might be made to set in mot-ion, or to stop any other of the many devices known for feeding steam. boilers with Water; or, for giving notice when there is a deficiency of water.

My invention consists in the arrangement of the expanding chamber, in relation to the opening for the passage of steam from t-he boiler into the heating apartment, so that the steam from the boiler, when it is admitted into this apartment by the falling of the water below the opening for steam, is suddenly broughtinto contact with the surface of the lower part of the chamber, within the apartment, and remains in contact with the same until the water in the boiler rises to the top of the opening which admitted the steam; when the contact of steam with the chamber is entirely cut off. This arrangement insures great sensitiveness and efficiency in the regulator, from the facility with which the fluid in the expanding chamber is expanded and contracted; and it also insures certainty and promptness in the action of the feeding mechanism of the boilers, and in the operation of t-he indicators and alarms connected with, and actuated by the regulator.

A metallic box, shown in the accompanying drawing, (Fig. l) is divided int-o two parts by a thin horizontal plate (E) which may have protuberances in it in order to increase the area of its surface; and has attached to its top a chamber (F) of convenient form; the upper part of this box is the expansion and the lower the heating chamber of the regulator; the horizont-al plate forming the bottom of one and the top of the other.

A pipe (C) leads froln the bottom of the heating chamber to the water space of the boiler; and another pipe (D) connects the steam space of the boiler with the top of the heating chamber, at the level of the under side of the bottom of the expanding chamber. The opening of the steam pipe into the heating chamber is placed just above the lowest level to which the water in the boiler can be permitted to fall, with perfect safety before the feed pump is started.

A pressure pipe (G) leads from the side of the expansion chamber, and connects it with an auxiliary chamber (H) which is divided by an elastic diaphragm (I), the space above the diaphragm being either filled with air or left open. A rod (J) extends upward from the diaphragm, and has resting upon it a weighted lever (K) which is pivoted to an arm (L) extending from the side of the chamber (H). The movement of this lever may, through a link-rod (X), turn a stop-cock to a feed-pump; or slip a band from a loose to a fast pulley, to give motion to the feed pump; or operate an alarm, or an indicator of the height of the water.

The capacity of the dome of the expanding chamber, above the point at which the pressure pipe enters it, is suoli that the fiuid displaced by the vapor' generated in this chamber will be sufficient to give the range of motion, required in the diaphragm, to operate the feeding mechanism of the boiler, without any of the vapor' entering the pipe (Gr), or even descending to the level of its mouth.

To limit the range of motion of the diaphragm stops may be placed above and below the lever K) to limit its upward and downward motion.

An orifice is made in the top of the dome (F), which is fitted air-tight with a screwplug (M), this orifice is for the purpose of filling the chambers (B and H) with water, or other fluid. In filling these chambers with fluid, the diaphragm must be placed in its lowest position, with the lever resting on the lower stop, on account of the relation between the range of motion of the diaphragm and the capacity of the dome, that the lever may have its full range of motion, in order to perform its functions in rising or falling. The diaphragm being placed in the position indicated, the chambers are filled with fluid, and the plug screwed in. The regulator is now ready for operation which is as follows: The boiler being filled with water above the level of the opening of the steam pipe into the heating apartment, this apartment is also filled with water, which stands at the same level in the steampipe as it does in the boiler thus shutting out the steam from the heating apartment. This apartment remains filled with water until the water in the boiler falls below the level of the steam opening therein, when it also falls in the steam pipe and this apartment, to the same level; as the apartment has free communication with the steam and Awater spaces of the boiler by means of the in the boiler, it being cooled down by the rapid radiation of heat from all parts of the apartment and of the water pipe, it follows that the heat imparted, by the water in this apartment to the fluid in the chamber above, will not be suflicient to raise it to the temperature of the steam in the boiler, and as the diaphragm is weighted, to counterbalance the pressure due to the temperature of the water in the apartment, the weight on the lever (K) being adjustable for that purpose, the fluid is retained in the dome, and the diaphragm therefore, remains at its lowest position, without communicating motion to the feeding mechanism of the boiler.

When the water in the boiler falls below vthe opening of the steam pipe in the apartment, the steam rushes in, and occupies the space between the top of the water and the bottom of the expansion chamber, and comes instantaneously into contact with the lower part of the chamber; imparting its heat rapidly to the fluid in this chamber, which is thereby dilated, and raises the weighted diaphragm, as the diaphragm yields, vapor is formed in the dome and displaces the\ fiuid, forcing it through the pressure pipe (G) into the auxiliary chamber into the space formed by the elevation of the diaphragm: when the 'dome is filled with vapor, the displaced fluid has raised the diaphragm to the height required to set in niotion the water feeding mechanism of the boiler; and the weighted lever is in contact with the upper stop, which prevents the diaphragm from rising any higher and the vapor in the dome from passing into the pressure pipe. The diaphragm is retained in this raised position until the water in the boiler rises so as to cut off the passage ofr steam to the apartment, when the water again rises in the apartment andcovers the bottom of the expansion chamber. The fluid in this chamber now receiving no accession to its heat, the vapor in the dome is rapidly condensed, the Huid in the auxiliary chamber returns to the dome, and the diaphragm resumes its first position; reversing the feeding mechanism as it descends, and stopping the feed of water to the boiler.

The feed pump does not stop immediately upon the level of the water in the boiler rising to the top of the opening in the steam pipe, as it takes a short time for the vapor in the dome to condense, and, until that takes place, the diaphragm cannot return to its first position, and reverse the feeding mechanism; but the time required for the vapor to condense is so short that there is no danger of the water in the boiler rising to-o high. The feeding is repeated whenever the water in the boiler falls below the opening of the steam pipe in the heating apartment.

The large area of surface at the bottom of the expanding chamber, exposed to instantaneous contact With steam, When it is admitted into the heating apartment, by the Water falling in the boiler below a given level; and the continued contact of steam with this entire surface until the Water rises above said level, When it is instantaneously out off from this surface; and the application of heat to the bottom instead of the top of the chamber; and, also, the manner in which the vapor generated is economized by being confined in the dome, which prevents it from being diffused over a large surface, by Which it would be rapidly condensed, gives to this regulator great quickness and certainty of action.

The construction of this regulator may be modified in many Ways, and still ret-ain substantially those distinctive features which constitute my improvement. One modification is shown, in Fig. 2, which varies from the one already described in that the expanding chamber (B) protrudes into the heating apartment (A) so that the bot-tom and sides are in contact With the steam when admitted from the boiler into the heating apart-ment. lith this modification it is necessary that there should be a communication between the top of the apartment and the steam in the boiler, in order to maintain an equilibrium of pressure between the Water in the boiler and that in the chamber, that both may stand at the same level. To effect this, a pipe (N) leads from the steam pipe (D) to the top of the chamber, and is fitted With a turn-cocl (P) in which is a capillary hole. This opening is sufficient to maintain the Water in the boiler and that in the apartment at the same level; yet Will not admit suiiicient steam to heat the fluid in the cham# ber to the temperature of the steam in the boiler. The Water pipe (C) has one or more coils in it to increase its radiating surface in order to cool the Water in its passage from the boiler to the heating apartment, and thus increase the difference between the temperature of the steam in the boiler, and that of the Water Which rises in the apartment (A), to cool and condense the fluid in the apartment (B), after the Water has been raised to the proper height in the boiler.

I do not conine myself to the use of Water as the fluid to ll the expanding chamber, as alco-hol, air, or other uids, may be used for this purpose.

Having thus described my improved regulator, What I claim therein as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Pat* entis- Tlie arrangement of the expanding chamber, in relation to the opening for steam in the heating apartment, so that the steam from the boiler, when it is admitted to this apartment, is suddenly brought into contact with the surface of the lower part of the chamber, Wit-hin the apartment, and remains in contact With the same until the Water in the boiler rises to the top of the opening which admitted the steam, when the contact of the steam With the chamber is suddenly cut off, as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

MIGHILL NUTTING.

In presence of F SoU'rI-IGATE SMITH, WVM. D. BALDWIN. 

